The Don't List
by CherryxDarling
Summary: Poor Jimmy just doesn't have a clue, does he? Finished.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: The Don't List**

"Here you go."

That's all he got. A blank, clear "here you go" and the slow, almost painful shuffling of a white piece of paper across the lunch table towards him, and the lack of tears in her green eyes.

"What's that?!" Sheen asked in an obnoxious voice, reaching out to snatch the piece of paper.

"Nothing," Jimmy said quickly, grabbing the paper before Sheen could, and folded it, putting it in his pocket. Better not risk opening it at the lunch table and having someone read it.

He saw her sit down at her own table, across from Libby, and he couldn't help but frown. The blank face was still carefully set, her bright eyes trained on Libby, on her untouched lunch tray, on the clock, on the door…on anything and everything but Jimmy.

It simply wasn't fair, either.

He hadn't been prepared for anyof this. Cindy had simply left a note on my big chair inside the lab, even though he have no idea (to this very day) how she got in without him, stating she needed space and not to bother coming to her house in the morning so they could go to school together, and "please don't call me, I just want to be alone."

Jimmy knew that he couldn't just go to her house the next morning anyways, expecting her to change her mind or give him an explanation. He would just give her the space she needed, and hopefully she would turn back around and _talk_ to him.

It had been two weeks, and she hadn't talked to him.

Not once.

* * *

When Jimmy got home, he opened the piece of paper, and was only slightly surprised to read what was inside. It was so in-your-face, controlling, and different. So…so…Cindy.

**JIMMY'S SET OF RULES**

_(because you need them.)_

By Cindy Vortex.

1). Don't look at me when we pass each other in the hallway. Because that means I have to look back, and our eyes will meet, and that would just be awkward.

2). Don't stop by my locker between classes. We're NOT dating anymore.

3). _Please_ do NOT come by my house at one in the morning on the eleventh of this month (which is a Saturday -- but that's irrelevant.) and ask me to go to space with you. Just don't do it, okay?

4). Definitely do not leave those awesome little Peppermint Bark packages (you know, the chocolate stuff from Borders bookstore?!) in my car, either. Just because you can break into my car (very, very easily), doesn't mean you can leave me _presents_.

5). When I'm walking home from the library, don't open the window to your room and not do anything, expecting me to get all curious and come to your house. Trust me, it won't work. Not anymore.

6). If I look sad or miserable or angry, don't ask me "what is wrong?" I'm not going to tell you, even if you begged me, or even if I wanted to. Which…I don't…

7). Don't tell me you _love_ me.

8). Whenever you hear my parents from across the street like I'm sure you do almost every night, don't pretend you never heard them and go over to my window, asking if "I want to head over for a late-night trip to Starbucks", and think I don't know what you're trying to do. I'm not stupid.

9). Especially don't give a note to Libby, asking her to give it to me. She doesn't like playing Messenger with us.

10). Don't ask to be my partner in Chemistry class, when you know that I like working alone now, and don't provoke a fight whenever I say no. You know I'll fight back, and I know that's why you'd do it. Just _don't_.

Don't. Don't do this, don't do that, don't ask this, don't tell me this, don't offer me that.

He had to admit, Jimmy thought this set of "rules" was a little…strange. Why would she be so specific? Sure, Jimmy had stuck one of those packages of Peppermint Bark in car once or twice, only because she loved them so much. But she had seemed pleased about that. Excited, even. And he _did_ come to her house whenever her parents where fighting so loud it woke his parents, but she never acted like it bothered her then.

And yes, if they got into fights, he gave notes to Libby…but only _occasionally_. And Cindy just sent him a note right back, so what was wrong with that? And they were _always _partners in Chemistry.

When did she decide she didn't like it anymore? When did she start thinking twice about him stopping by her locker, which she obviously didn't seem to mind, or just _looking_ at her in the hallway?

Jimmy sat straight up, the light bulb turning on in his head, the wheels in his mind starting to turn quickly.

This wasn't a set of rules of things he shouldn't do, it was a set of rules of things he _should_ be doing.

She was using reverse psychology on him!

Of course, it was so clear in his head now. He had given her space, time, breathing air, everything she asked for. He left her alone, but now she just wanted things to go back to the same, but she was afraid to let him and --

Well, he'd just do everything on the list. One by one. Starting with number one, until number ten…

Isn't that what she wanted?

He smiled, folding the list back up and setting it on his nightstand.

Time to sleep, Jimmy. Tomorrow will be a big day for you.

* * *

**Part I: Sparks**

The next day, Jimmy decided to put his plan into action.

_1). Don't look at me when we pass each other in the hallway. Because that means I have to look back, and our eyes will meet, and that would just be awkward._

He gazed at Cindy from across the lunchroom, and saw that she was smiling and laughing, just like Cindy does, and she did not look at him once. He looked away slowly, still watching her from the corner of his eye. Maybe, just maybe, she would look at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

He waited, for a few seconds.

…nothing.

He turned back to her again, and he could see she was listening intently as Libby told her some story. Jimmy just sighed and looked past her, to one of the long windows that next to her. It was raining outside…

Wait. Jimmy narrowed his eyes and he saw Cindy turn towards the window, as if to watch the rain, like he was.

Light, shadowy green eyes met his through the reflection of the window, and then she quickly looked away, down to her tray.

He smiled to the window.

She was sneaky.

* * *

Two class periods later, Jimmy was walking to his locker - and yes, there was Cindy.

Oh, she wasn't alone, either. Libby was on her left, and Brittany was on her right.

Jimmy had read once - whenever he had the flu for three days straight and was so bored, he read some of his mother's magazines - that when a girl was "getting over" a break-up, they tended to make themselves seem busy and happy by surrounding them by a lot of their friends or other people. Perhaps Cindy was doing the same thing?

The whole situation he was in right now felt like it was going in slow-motion…he was to the north and she the south, with her eyes trained perfectly in front of her, sometimes drifting to Libby or Brittany. He was blatantly staring _right at her_, and as they were about to pass each other, Cindy glanced towards him, trying to be sly and quick and unseen.

Of course, it didn't work, and Jimmy couldn't help but smile a little when her eyes widened and she looked away, walking just a little but quicker in the opposite direction.

* * *

**Part II: Locker**

Back when Cindy and Jimmy were still dating, it was almost like a tradition for Jimmy stop at Cindy's locker between almost every class period. It was normal for them, _because _they were dating, and no one gave it much thought.

In fact, it was very strange that Jimmy didn't stop by Cindy's locker anymore.

It was also very strange that they weren't dating anymore, either, but people had long stopped asking about it and minded their own business - mostly because of Cindy's threats.

And Jimmy thought it would be just great to give people a shock, since most people had moved on from the "Big News" of their break-up.

Oh, what a shock it would be.

And it was Tuesday, or Day Two; which is what Jimmy liked it call it. His classmates were moving sluggishly, still sleepy-eyed and dazed from waking up early and going to school. Most of them weren't paying him any attention as he completely avoided his own locker, heading straight in the opposite direction of his homeroom class, towards Cindy's locker.

But one, wide-eyed and still person looked on at him as he determinedly made his way through the throng of people, and that one person just knew, just _knew_ that this whole big situation couldn't end well…not at all.

This person just happened to be Carl Weezer, one of Jimmy's best friends.

He _tried_ to tell Jimmy that he was wrong, but being the hard-headed, somewhat arrogant genius Jimmy was, he didn't listen to poor Carl. Jimmy did always think he was right, and since he thought he knew Cindy more than anyone in Retroville, Jimmy was not one to take advice, not even from his best friend.

Of course, Carl knew that people made mistakes and it certainly was okay if Jimmy made a few, like every one of the other non-geniuses.

And yes, Carl was nice enough not to say "I told you so", because he was his best friend, after all.

(But Sheen was a whole other matter.)

* * *

"_What_ are you doing?"

Cindy stiffened, her whole body becoming rigid and she leaned away from Jimmy was far as she could, almost pressed up against her locker.

Jimmy stood directly beside her, leaning against the locker next to hers, smiling and slouching casually.

She just glared. "Well?"

"I'm…standing…at your locker?"

Cindy fumed. The man had the _gall_ to look confused!

She took a few deep breaths, trying to remember her Anger Management techniques, and clenched her hands on her open locker door.

"Why?"

"Because…I…can."

If it was possible, Cindy would've self-imploded.

"I don't _want_ you here."

The short sentence came out hard, as if through gritted teeth.

The only question here, was Cindy just so mad that she had to talk that way to keep calm, or were those words just so hard to say to him, as if she were lying?

Jimmy liked to think it was the latter.

"Oh, c'mon Cindy -"

"Jimmy? Um, what are you doing at Cindy's locker?" An incredulous voice came from behind Jimmy.

He whirled around quickly, only to be greeted with Brittany's shocked face, and Libby's smirking one. Obviously, it had been Brittany who spoke.

"Well…" Jimmy glanced behind him, and his mouth dropped.

Cindy was gone.

* * *

**Part III: Eleventh**

Three days later, it was the Eleventh of January.

Jimmy did not want to anger Cindy so much that she turned off from him completely, so he decided to wait…for just a few days.

But after thinking about it for awhile, he figured that _waiting a few days_ was the reason he got in this predicament in the first place, so he quickly gathered his courage and started on Rule Number Three - _don't_ go to Cindy's house at one in the morning on the eleventh, asking her to go to space with him.

It was Saturday morning, 12:52 a.m. Eight minutes and counting.

It takes a lot to go to space, Jimmy thought, almost bitterly. You needed a spaceship, for one thing. Proper equipment and supplies, including food and water and extra clothes and what if someone got hurt? You would need a first-aid kit.

But this was Cindy, Jimmy assured himself; but he didn't need much reassuring, anyways.

This was Cindy, and she was worth this.

* * *

_Tap…tap._

Rocks. Tiny little rocks, hitting her window, at one in the morning.

_That bastard!_

Cindy should've learned, preferably at a young age, not to be so damn specific.

One in the morning? Really?

And people thought she was smart?

In her sleep-dazed mind, she thought that this whole thing was probably her own fault, and she shouldn't even be complaining, she should be taking her punishment in stride.

But there's a different between _should_ and _whatever the hell Cindy feels like doing_.

Throwing the covers off her and shivering against the cooler temperature of her dark room, Cindy stalked over to her window and threw it open.

"_Neutron,"_ She hissed, hoping her parents wouldn't wake and murder her. Murder her and Jimmy both.

"Cindy?" A faint, cheerful voice came from in front of her. In front of her? What the hell?

"Um…" Of course. Jimmy didn't do things the normal way, oh no. He had to do things the _difficult_ way.

And poor, poor Jimmy. He wasn't the best when it came to things like physical endurance and er, climbing trees. But hey, it was better than hopelessly throwing rocks at her window from the _ground_, that was just lame. Too cliché.

So yeah, he climbed a tree instead.

He moved branches obscuring his vision awkwardly away from his face and smiled and waved at Cindy. She gaped at him.

"Why are you in my tree?"

"Want to go to space with me?" Ignoring her question completely, Jimmy just went for it. There was no hesitating now. He was in a _tree_.

"Um…how about not?"

Without waiting for a response, she slammed the window shut, making the leaves shudder minutely to the sensation.

Jimmy sighed. There was probably no use to trying again, was there?

And he groaned, realizing one unfortunate thing:

His foot was stuck.

* * *

**Um. I **_**was**_** going to make this a really, **_**really**_** long one-shot. But how about I make this a two/three-parter? I want to get this out in the open, before I finish.**

**I'm also very sorry about not updating my other stories! I know it's been at least a month since I've last made a chapter, and I'm extremely regretful to say that it might be awhile until you get one. You can say I've hit this huge wall when it comes to finishing my stories, but I'll still be writing and updating as fast as I can.**

**I hate school. -grumbles-**

**So review, and also…**_**thank you**_** for reviewing all my other stories. If you've messaged me, don't be mad if you haven't gotten a reply. I get, erm, sidetracked easily. Sorry!**

**I'll stop apologizing now…**

**REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Don't List:**

**Part IV: Peppermint**

For the fourth rule on the list, Jimmy would have to take a trip downtown, buy a silly bag of chocolate and peppermint things and then _break_ into Cindy's car and leave it there. And then wait.

This wasn't a good idea, of course. It would just backfire in Jimmy's face, but he was past caring, now. He had already failed three times.

And like any genius should know, you never succeed if you stop trying.

And so Jimmy rummaged around his room for a good twenty minutes just to find ten dollars, which was the cost of the little bag of Peppermint Bark at Borders. And he thought that was totally ridiculous, of course, but like he told himself every morning: this was Cindy, and she was worth it.

His parents didn't know what he was up to, and since it was just before six in the morning and school started at 8:30, Jimmy decided it was best to walk to the bus stop just a block away, ride downtown to Borders, get the freaking stuff, and ride the bus back and then go to school. That would take about an hour, if everything went smoothly.

…_If_.

* * *

Jimmy wasn't a superstitious person, even though he had seen plenty of crazy things in his life. Almost everything could be explained by science, but he supposed that this was one of those things that couldn't.

He had arrived at the bus stop just two minutes late (or at least, that's what the homeless man sitting on the bench told him, and he had been _laughing_ at Jimmy) and had to wait at least another twenty minutes for the next one to arrive.

When he got to Borders, he found that there were only _two_ bags of Peppermint Bark left, and Jimmy made a dash for one, smiling triumphantly when he had the bag in his hands. He even thought about buying the last one, but then decided against it…what if some guy (or maybe even a girl) was having the same problem he was, and needed to buy a bag of Peppermint Bark and break into his girlfriends' car and leave it in there?

You never know.

So Jimmy just paid for the bag, left Borders, and got on the bus and happily made his way home.

But when he got home, he realized he had underestimated the time it would take to get home, and found that it was already 8:35, and he was late for school.

And since Jimmy was late for school, he had obviously missed the bus, and now he would have to ask for a ride from his mom and then he would have to explain why he wasn't home this morning.

_Shit_.

All for Cindy, Jimmy thought, taking a deep breath.

This was all for Cindy.

* * *

After spending a good ten minutes explaining to his mother why he hadn't been home all morning and was going to be late for school, she finally looked convinced enough to give him a ride to school, and by then, Jimmy was already about a half an hour late.

But this could work to his advantage, he considered. If he could break into Cindy's car while everyone was in class, then that was a good thing.

Because honestly, Jimmy hadn't planned how he would get the bag of Peppermint Bark into Cindy's car, but he was glad he had an idea now.

After waving goodbye to his mom, with a handy little excuse note in his hand to give to the secretary when he got inside, he stalked over to Cindy's car and easily worked his way into Cindy's car without any problems or damage to the car itself, set the bag right on her dash, in sight and looking very tempting.

Jimmy smiled, and made his way inside.

* * *

"…suspended?"

"You are an hour late, and you were caught breaking into another student's car in the parking lot just minutes ago! We have evidence, Jimmy. You will be suspended for a week."

"…but…I have a note!" Jimmy was almost on his knees, begging the principal to _please please please_ not suspend him. But of course, begging wouldn't help. He would have to _grovel_.

The principal just sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's invalid now," She commented in a sly tone, plucking the note from Jimmy's outstretched hand and ripped it in half, letting it flutter to her cluttered desk.

Jimmy just stared in awe.

* * *

Later that day, when the final bell had rung and Cindy was making her way through the parking lot, she noticed something silver and shiny glinting obnoxiously from the dashboard. She froze, her hand halfway to the handle of the door.

_No!_

She made quick work of putting the key in her door and unlocking it, scrambling into her seat and grabbing the bag off the dash and clutching it.

Peppermint Bark. She lifted it and saw that it was indeed authentic, the Borders logo on the bottom and the price equaling ten dollars.

She opened the bag slowly, pulling one square of packaged chocolate and peppermint deliciousness, tempted to open it, but not really wanting to.

Cindy stared at the small chocolate for a few minutes before throwing it back in the bag.

Jimmy would die.

* * *

**Part V: Library**

Suspended.

Not only suspended, but grounded, and in a _lot_ of trouble. Jimmy had been sent home early after a little more begging, got yelled at a little, and sent upstairs for the next week.

But that doesn't mean he couldn't do the next step in his plan, and just because he was suspended didn't mean he couldn't have visitors, and his parents weren't even home! They didn't even have to know. It would all work out wonderfully.

And Cindy went to the library probably every two weeks or so, to get books and return them whenever she needed. It was Tuesday. Library day, of course.

Jimmy usually didn't believe in Fate, but it seemed that he was becoming more of a believer each day.

* * *

Cindy was wary. She was wary; but that didn't mean she was actually acting on the unpleasant feeling in her gut. She knew Jimmy had gotten suspended, but she didn't feel guilty at all. It was his own fault.

Since Cindy knew what she wrote on the List, and she knew that Jimmy would be trying to bait her once she walked by, but it was like some invisible force was forcing her to go to the library like every other time, and walk along the sidewalk slowly and just _stare_ at his window.

Some people never learn.

Just keep looking forward, Cindy advised herself, but she could see his open window from the corner of her eye, the curtain fluttering with the movement of the slight breeze. She sighed and gave up, glancing towards Jimmy's house and immediately regretting it when she did.

His window was open, but only slightly, and she could see his dark curtains fluttering lightly on the inside. It was so inviting, so nostalgic, so _happy _looking. It definitely made her interest grow, and she could feel herself drifting away from the sidewalk, across the street, and up the steps of Jimmy Neutron's porch.

She didn't even realize what was going on until _after_ she rang the doorbell and the door was opening. Mrs. Neutron smiled, surprised, at Cindy and opened the door wider. "Cindy! What a nice surprise. Are you here for Jimmy?"

Cindy almost straight out panicked as she scrambled her brain for excuses. "Um…no, actually. I wanted to talk to you!"

Judy Neutron narrowed her eyes and raised a brow at the same time. "Really? What about?"

Looking at everything but Mrs. Neutron herself, Cindy finally came up with the _perfect_ excuse. "Well, I just wanted to…to _thank_ you. For always being there for me…and…treating me…like a daughter! You know."

Now that Cindy had made the situation almost incredibly awkward, she just wanted the ground below her to open up and swallow her whole.

But Judy just smiled pleasantly at her. "Oh, no need to thank me, dear. I'm always here for you. Is there anything else you wanted?"

Cindy knew that Mrs. Neutron could see straight through her lies, but played along and shook her head. "Nope. I'll…be going now!"

And she ran down the steps of the porch and down the walk without looking back, not stopping until she reached the safety of inside her house.

_How odd_, Judy shut the door and wondered why Cindy was so against her son all of a sudden. It was so strange. She sighed when she heard footsteps on the stairs, and looked up to see Jimmy standing on the last one, staring at the door.

"Was someone here?"

"Cindy was. But she just left. She seemed very…disorientated." Jimmy's mom shook her head, walking quietly back into the kitchen without another word.

Jimmy, who just _knew_ something like that would happen, just smiled.

It had worked.

* * *

**Part VI: What's Wrong, Cindy?**

The next day Cindy Vortex was not happy.

Jimmy was doing the exact opposite of the List she had given him, of course. After a long night of thinking over things, Cindy realized he was just going down the list, and now he was almost halfway through.

But today, she was definitely ready. It was Jimmy's first day back, after his suspension from breaking into her car, and he would most likely just jump right back into routine. With enthusiasm, knowing him.

But when he would give up?

She didn't like to admit it, but she hoped he never did.

* * *

It started with notes. Tiny, white scraps of paper thrown over her shoulder and onto her desk, with that annoying, scrawling text, _"What's wrong?"_

And it continued, all day long. She found notes in her locker, in her textbooks, stuck on the bottom of her shoe during Study Hall.

She wasn't even sure if she had a valid reason for looking so angry today, other than _him_. The one person who kept asking her what was wrong was the person who was at fault in the first place!

But she couldn't tell him that, oh no. She couldn't let him know that he was actually getting to her. He was not going to win.

In the back of her mind, the rising question arose, "_When did this become a game?"_

And unfortunately, Cindy knew the answer.

* * *

Jimmy sure was trying his hardest. He sent notes through the vents of her locker between classes and passed them during class time. He had thrown one right in front of her during Study Hall, but she had just stepped on it and it had stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

He knew that she thought she was being sneaky and mysterious and mean, which she sort of was, but now that he knew that he was ahead in the game, he could look past her steely demeanor and keep pushing her and pushing her until she broke. And break she would.

It was in Gym when he tried again, the last class of the day.

They were playing dodge ball, and Jimmy knew what was going to happen before it actually did. Cindy wasn't even paying attention, her focus elsewhere. A ball was heading straight for her head, and of course, it didn't look like she had any intention at all to dodge it.

So Jimmy caught the ball easily before it hit her, bumping into her shoulder in the process and jarring her out of her daze. She jumped when she saw him, her eyes widening.

There was a moment where they just stared into each other's eyes, and Jimmy swore that he saw a tear.

But then she blinked, and he changed his mind.

"What's wrong, Cindy?"

The almost soft look in her eyes left immediately, and her gaze narrowed as she stalked away.

_I think I just screwed up_, Jimmy thought sadly, before throwing the ball he had caught at someone else and walking off himself.

* * *

**Review!**

**P.S. All the facts about Peppermint Bark are real. I ate some while writing this part. =)**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Don't List**

**Part VII: Three Words**

Jimmy took a deep breath to steady himself. With each day that went after the break-up, he could feel himself feeling more and more upset. He still didn't have the reasoning behind the break-up in the first place, and he was trying his hardest to get Cindy back, but nothing was working.

He was already on number seven on the List. If he screwed up a few more times, he would be screwed forever.

He sighed again, shutting his locker and trying to think of the perfect time to put number seven into action. He had to plan carefully. This wasn't fun anymore, but of course, it hadn't really been fun to begin with. It was tiring, but he was _not_ going to give up.

He was not going to give her up.

* * *

Cindy was dreading the day that was spreading out before her. She sat through each class, staring at the clock and wishing the time away. She moved through the hallway between each class as quickly as she could, avoiding eye contact with anyone and everyone and making sure that she never came in a ten-foot radius of a certain Jimmy Neutron.

Doing so would cause a fatality, of course.

But it was during lunch when it happened, when Cindy had let her guard down without really realizing it. She was innocently standing in the lunch line, staring off into space and trying to keep her mind off of the recent events when she felt a presence behind her.

A warm presence. Extreme body heat. It was familiar.

But not _too_ familiar…

"Hello Cindy!" She whirled around slowly at the eager voice and smiled painfully at the person behind her.

Mark Dunham.

Mark was not a regular guy. He was a football player, a basketball player, a baseball player, a tennis player, and soccer player. He played about every sport known to man-kind and somehow managed to pass all of his classes, and most girls flocked to him because of that. He was "dreamy" and "perfect" and "amazing."

But not to mention, totally annoying and generic.

"Hello Mark." Cindy tried to let him know she was interested and tried to turn back around, ignoring him, but he simply wouldn't let her.

"How have you been?"

"I've been okay." She couldn't help it this time. She glanced towards the clock and inched away from him.

"That's good! I'm fine myself. So…um, you doing anything after school?"

Cindy sighed inwardly. Mark was famous for asking her out, trying to make it casual when she rejected him. She was just _tired_ of him wanting to see a movie or going out to eat. Sure, those things were fine. But those things were _normal_, also. Mark wouldn't take her to the moon and up next to the stars and most definitely would not challenge her in an intellectual conversation.

But no one would do that, except one person that she knew.

Shaking her head, Cindy replied, "Sorry, Mark. I'm just really busy with, ah, school and stuff."

She watched Mark slump his shoulders and sigh for the thousandth time in her lifetime, "That's okay. Maybe some other time."

She nodded absently and Mark drifted away, probably thinking about the next time he'd ask her out.

* * *

Jimmy was standing maybe ten feet away from Mark when he was standing behind Cindy, and he narrowed his eyes when he saw Mark walking away and Cindy's sad, lonesome expression.

He did not need another person interfering with his plan.

Deciding to take a leap, literally and figuratively, he cut in line and stepped right behind Cindy, ignoring the angry protests of the people now standing behind him.

He heard Cindy sigh when he stepped behind her. "Mark, I told you that I'm busy -" She turned around mid-sentence and then stopped, staring straight at him.

"You're not Mark." She muttered, annoyed and depressed sounding.

Jimmy chuckled. "No, definitely not. Wanna talk?"

Almost as if remembering her place, she shook her quickly. "No, why would I?" She attempted to turn around but he put a hand on her arm.

"Please? For one minute?" His eyes spoke volumes. He was desperate.

Grumbling under her breath, Cindy realized that people were starting to stare at them. "Um…okay. But _only_ for one minute."

* * *

In the hallway, away from the prying stares of their classmates, Cindy didn't dare to let her guard down again, and did not even look at Jimmy straight in the face.

"Cindy, what is up with you? I mean…I didn't even get an explanation to why you broke _up_ with me. I…there's probably a good reason, isn't there? Did I do something wrong?"

He waited for an answer. But Cindy just shook her head, closing her eyes.

"Then what is it? Please tell me. Whatever it is, I can make it better. We can get through it!"

He waited again, and Cindy felt close to tears, for a moment, before composing herself. She did not answer.

"Cindy…Cindy. Please, just, I -"

"Don't you dare say it."

He scowled. He hated being interrupted.

"I love you."

It felt like a freight train, like the balance of truth and emotion was too much to handle she sucked in a breath, but did not dare open her mouth to make a response.

She could not form one, even if she wanted to.

Jimmy's face fell, leaning down and kissed her forehead, before walking away.

He wasn't giving _her_ "time", he was giving himself time.

* * *

**Part VIII: Starbucks?**

The next night, Cindy was sitting in her room. She'd had a rough day and half. A love confession, and the total guilt that she felt for the 24 hour time period afterwards was almost too much to bear, and on top of that, she could hear here parents yelling downstairs.

Why, oh why did they choose a night like this to fight? Cindy curled into herself on her bed, dreading and hoping for the events that would take place next.

* * *

Jimmy stared out his open window. He heard a yell, a pause, and then another yell. Cindy's parents, of course. Fate was helping him on number eight. Even after the Hallway Incident yesterday, he still had hope that Cindy would change her mind and things would turn around.

His eyes drifting from their aimless gaze to Cindy's dark, desolate window; Jimmy decided not to think about it and quit hesitating. If he worried too much about screwing up, he probably would, no matter what.

* * *

Cindy sat straight up in her bed when she heard a faint _tap_ on her window. Typical. Couldn't Jimmy find a non-cliché way to win over her heart?

Gracefully pushing herself off her bed and striding over to the window, she threw it open and stared out into the darkness.

She saw no one.

Disappointed, Cindy leaned her head farther out the window, looking for any traces of a genius with romance on his mind.

And then she felt something hard hit her head. "Ouch!" Looking up, she saw who she was looking for. "What the hell are you doing on my roof?" She hissed.

Jimmy smiled darkly. "I got stuck in the tree last time."

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Then why don't you just _leave me alone_?"

He shrugged, much to her dismay. "You tell me, Cindy."

She froze. "What is that supposed to mean, Neutron?"

"Are we playing the Last Name Game as well?" His words were sharp but his tone was teasing. "Alright then, _Vortex_. What that means is that you _know_ why I won't leave you alone. That's what your plan was, wasn't it?"

A confused look crossed Cindy's features. "Excuse me? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't even play dumb with me! I've figured you out."

"Honestly, I'm not playing with you. I have no idea what crazy theory your freaky genius brain has though up this time, and I don't care, either. You're going to get me caught out here, and then I'll be in trouble. So go home, Neutron."

She retreated back into the window, but a voice called her back. "Wait!"

"_What_?" She sighed, reappearing.

"…you wanna go to Starbucks with me?"

And all he got was a glare and the sound of a window slamming.

* * *

**Part IX: Messenger**

Libby was not surprised when Jimmy threw a note at her during third period, addressed to Cindy.

She turned to him and raised a brow. He nodded and shrugged.

No, Libby did not particularly like playing Messenger for her two dear friends, but she usually put up with it anyways for the sake of their relationship. She was very shocked when she found that Cindy had up and dumped Jimmy like it was nothing, without consulting or talking to her at all. Cindy usually talked to her _best friend_ before making such earth-shattering decisions, but Libby did not hold a grudge.

Not really, anyways.

Taking a cleansing breath, Libby gingerly picked up the note and started to open it. She heard a rapid tapping and turned to Jimmy, who sat beside her. He was shaking his head, glancing from the Libby to the note.

Sighing, she shoved the note into her notebook. It was a crappy job, playing Messenger, especially when she wasn't allowed to read the actual notes.

* * *

It was in the lunchroom when Libby decided to drop the bombshell.

She watched with a critical eye as Cindy stormed into the lunchroom, went through the lunch line, stomped across the room and slammed her tray on the table across from her, sitting down with a huff.

"Rough night?" Libby asked casually.

Cindy glanced at Jimmy, thinking that no one would notice, and shrugged. "Kind of," She muttered.

Libby let a few moments pass in silence before grabbing her notebook and putting it on the table quietly, opening it and grabbing the note. "Um, I have a present for you!"

"A present?" Cindy looked up and stared at the paper.

"Yes, it's from…your…secret admirer."

Silence.

Cindy took the note cautiously, glaring at it as if she wanted it to burst into flames on the spot.

"I hate him."

Libby snickered a little, dropping her fork on the ground.

* * *

**I keep jumping from angst-y drama to dark humor to mediocre fluffiness. **

**I hope this is good enough for you guys, I updated **_**kind of**_** quickly this time. Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Don't List**

**Part X: Can You Feel the **_**Chemistry**_**?**

To Jimmy, it was a very big day. The last day. His final day. The one day where he would either prove to Cindy that she should come back to him and stop this nonsense, or it was all over.

He couldn't screw this up, not this time.

And he sat through every class, tense, staring at the clock every few moments and gripping his pencil so hard that his knuckles turned white and the lead started to break.

He could see his friends, Libby and Sheen and Carl, give him worried glances out of the corner of his eye.

When he had two hours to go until Chemistry class, he felt a poke to his shoulder. "Jimmy, you okay?"

It was Carl.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He answered, without even looking behind at his friend.

"…are you sure?" Jimmy sighed quietly.

"Yes, Carl. I'm fine." He turned around, though. Carl was just sitting there, his brows raised.

"Okay, okay. But I think you're trying too hard and you're missing the obvious."

Jimmy blinked at him. "Um, what?"

"You're missing the point, Jimmy! Cindy doesn't want -"

He huffed. "Carl, I don't need any help. Really, I appreciate it, but I'm stressed enough as it is. Just…let me do this on my own?"

Carl shrugged and looked down. "Alright, but remember the last fight you had with Cindy before you two broke up and I tried to help you but you turned me down?"

Jimmy blinked at him, once again. "Carl, what are you trying to say?"

Sheen snorted; he was sitting behind Carl and was listening to the whole conversation. Libby, who sat across from Sheen, rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Never mind, Jimmy. But good luck today."

Jimmy turned back around and ignored the whisperings of his friends behind him. He could do this on his own, couldn't he?

Yes. Oh, he could.

Carl just shook his head. At least he could say he tried helping him, and there wasn't much he could do now.

In fact, all he could was watch when Jimmy screwed up…_again_.

* * *

Before the bell even rang to mark the start of class, Jimmy was in his seat, his books on his desk, looking like a teacher's pet. Which he sometimes was, but not really.

But none of that mattered anymore. He was replaying the scene that would happen in just a few minutes, with Cindy. How would she react when he -

The door opened and the rest of the Chemistry students filled the room, taking their seats, with their incessant chatter buzzing in his ears. Cindy stormed into the room with a look of Death on her face, with an almost nervous looking Libby following her.

She took her seat beside him, scooting all the way over on the opposite of their conjoined table-desk and ignoring him.

Libby gave him a Look as she sat down in front of him at another table-desk and Jimmy took a deep breath and opened his mouth -

"Okay, students! Guess what we'll be doing today?"

There were a few moans and groans as the teacher explained the assignment, which entailed looking at plant and animals cells in a microscope and comparing the two.

"You have thirty second to pick your partners…choose wisely! …Go!"

People scrambled from their seats, chairs scraping against tiled floors. Some yelled across the room, while others stayed in their seat, knowing that they had a partner and they would always have the _same_ partner. That's how Jimmy and Cindy used to be, of course.

Whenever the teacher used to assign projects like this one, Jimmy would look at Cindy, and Cindy would look at Jimmy, and they would both smile, knowing they would be partners. There was no question about it.

But of course, that was then, and this was now.

Jimmy scooted back, feeling like everything around him was going in fast-forward but he was moving in slow-motion. Not a good mix.

He saw Cindy looking around, and he knew that _she_ knew that Libby already had a partner, so that was out of the question.

And out of the corner of his eye, he saw a very eager Mark Dunham striding towards Cindy with a smile on his face. Jimmy swore he saw her cringe in fear.

Standing beside Cindy in just a few moments time, he asked the big question. "Will you be my partner, Cindy?"

"Time's up!"

* * *

_Of all the bad things that can happen to me_, Cindy thought morbidly, glancing back and forth from Mark and Jimmy. Mark was standing maybe three feet away from her, looking devastated and disappointed. Jimmy had that smart and smug hopeful look on his face, and Cindy narrowed her eyes angrily.

"_No_!" Several people - actually, most of the class, even the teacher - turned and looked towards the duo with curious eyes and eager ears.

Well, she hadn't meant to be _that_ loud.

Cindy looked down, slightly embarrassed. Jimmy ignored everyone else around them, concentrating on Cindy and Cindy alone.

"Are you _sure_?"

_How dense is this boy_?

"_Yes_, I'm sure! I'm…already…Mark's partner!" She jumped up suddenly, leaping towards Mark and grabbing his arm, pulling him towards her. She smirked at Jimmy.

He just glared at Mark. "Hey, Mark, I'm pretty sure Brittany needs a partner, too. She's over there. Why don't you go ask her?"

"Hey, people, I said _time's up!_" The teacher was a little impatient now, but he was getting ignored, like always.

Mark looked torn, staring at the death-grip on his arm and then to Jimmy's death glare.

Death; it was everywhere for Mark.

But then he looked at Brittany, a safe and secure option.

"Um, alright," Mark pried Cindy's deathly fingers off of his arm, stepping away carefully. "I'll see you around, Cindy." He kept backing away, towards Brittany and the wonderful dream of safety.

Cindy glared at him the whole time.

Jimmy gave a self-satisfied smile and turned back to Cindy after watching Mark retreat across the room. People were still staring, and the teacher was trying to get everyone's attention so he could get the assignment done. It wasn't working so well.

"You…I hate you!" Cindy stomped her foot. Jimmy raised a brow.

"No you don't," He replied easily. "You love me."

She reddened, not liking the social attention and definitely not liking how Jimmy could say something so personal like that so _easily_, in public, in front of everyone.

Well, Cindy was in a shock - Jimmy could do _much_ better.

"Shut up," She mumbled, trying to divert some of the attention off of her by talking quietly.

And again, _it wasn't working_.

"What about arguing with me, Cindy?" Jimmy teased, smiling now. She glared at him harder. "I'm done, this is the very last thing, and I have to say…I'm kind of disappointed. I thought this was supposed to be more exciting."

Cindy was really shocked, now. And she had a feeling it was only going to get worse. And she _really_ had no idea what to say to that.

"Cindy…," His voice was softer now, "Are you going to tell me why you broke up with me? And what the whole deal with the list thing was?"

Now confused, she raised a brow, "What are you talking about, the List? It's not that hard to figure out."

"What are _you_ talking about?" Now they were both confused.

Cindy sighed. "I wrote that List, because there are certain things I didn't want you to do. So I wrote them down and gave them to you," she shrugged. "Why is that so hard? I still can't believe you did the _opposite_ of what I put down."

Jimmy blinked. He blinked twice. And his mouth dropped open, slowly. "_What_?"

Looking around nervously, Cindy again noticed all the other students looking at them most of them with confused looks on their faces. The teacher had given up, watching them also.

"What…?"

"So you didn't give me the List, saying you didn't want me to do those things, even though you really wanted me to do those things and didn't want to say it?"

Cindy blinked this time. "What? No! Why would I do that?"

Jimmy coughed violently.

Sheen started laughing, quite loudly and disturbingly. "I told you! I knew it! Carl knew it! Libby knew it! We _all_ knew it! Except Jimmy."

A few other people around him started laughing, even though no one else knew what was going on. Jimmy looked thoroughly embarrassed and also angry, glaring at Sheen. "Shut up, Sheen!"

Sheen did shut up.

Jimmy took action then, walking forward and grabbing Cindy's arm and pulling her across the room, to the door, and out into the hallway, both of them ignoring the protests of the teacher.

* * *

"You are so impossible," Cindy muttered as Jimmy just kept _pulling_ on her arm. They were heading down the hallway, out an exit, and into the bright, glaring sun. She looked at him smugly as he stopped pulling. "We're going to be in trouble, you know."

"I know, and I don't really care."

She gaped at his audacity. "W-what?"

"You heard me. But that doesn't matter now."

"Really? Then what _does_?"

"Us."

Cindy looked away, strategically tugging on her shirt and then tucking some hair behind her ear. "What about us?" She asked quietly.

"For one thing, that dumb List."

She sighed wearily. "Jimmy, you totally over-analyzed the whole thing -"

"I know that. But there's something else, too."

"And what is that?"

"Why did you break up with me? Why did you write that List, if not to get back together with me? Why didn't I get a little bit of _warning_?" His voice was bordering on desperate.

Cindy wasn't sure what to say, now. "Well…okay. I'll tell you."

"Good, I'd really _love_ to know."

Her eyes shot up and she glared at him heatedly. "I'm the one who's sarcastic here, okay?"

He nodded and shrugged. "Well…?"

"Well…alright," Cindy walked over to the curb and sat down, spreading her legs out and making herself comfortable, though the nervous expression on her face made her seem unbalanced. "I broke up with you because I was afraid."

Jimmy sat down next to her. Close, but not close enough. "Afraid? Of what?"

"You. Of us. Of what we were becoming, pretty much." Cindy was very surprised at how easily the words came out. "I didn't want us to become too close."

"But…why?"

She looked at him sadly. "Our relationship won't last, Jimmy. No matter how much we try…we're still young, you know? Eventually we'll graduate high school. Then we'll have to go to college and realize that we can't stay together, because we want different things in life, because we want to date other people, or whatever. Or maybe we will get married and then end up an unhappy, constantly-fighting couple who hate each other."

She looked away, a breeze picking up and moving her hair around. "And you say that _I_ over-analyze things?" Jimmy asked, incredulous.

She looked at him sharply. "Well? You know I'm right, Jimmy. There's no point -"

"Don't start, Cindy," He interrupted, a little bit of amusement in his voice. "I get what you're saying. And yes, _maybe_ you're right. Maybe our relationship is doomed. But…what about living in the moment? What about enjoying the present, and not even worrying about the future?"

Cindy Vortex was shocked, for the eleventh (or maybe it was more, she couldn't even count) time this week. "But you're the genius. I thought you cared about this stuff."

"I might be a genius, but I am a teenage male, Cindy."

She blushed slightly, looking away again. "So what are you saying, then?"

"I say that you forget about all your silly -"

"_Silly_?!"

"- girly worries and go out with me again."

Cindy blinked. "Is that a question or a demand?"

"Which one do you want?"

She laughed. And Jimmy smiled, the first real one in weeks. He scooted closer to her, his side pressing up to hers. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him immediately. "I missed you," He sighed.

She looked up at him. "I know. I missed you, too. I mean…I guess. Now that I know you're completely dependent on me…" She rolled her eyes, still smiling.

Jimmy faked a dramatic gasp. "Why, of course! I could never live without you!" Cindy laughed again. He laughed along, his voice returning to normal. "Don't even deny that you missed me, Cindy. And you shouldn't deny that you have completely fallen in love with me, also." His tone wasn't serious, but his words and eyes were.

"I have," She abruptly. And of course, she seemed embarrassed right afterwards, ducking her head a little.

"Thought so," He teased lightly. "And that's good, because I'm in love with you, too."

She smiled slyly. "Really now? I had no idea; I mean, even though you did ten crazy and wild things that practically _screamed_ your love for me, I was still clueless."

Jimmy just laughed, too happy to think of a good comeback. "You can make up for that later," He said lowly.

Cindy gave him a big smile, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. "Only on _one_ more condition," She said, and he groaned.

"Alright; what is it?"

She smirked, leaning even closer to him. "Buy me more Peppermint Bark," and before he could reply, she sealed the deal by closing the distance between their lips.

* * *

**I kind of don't like this last chapter, but I believe it will do, right?**

**It's long-ish.**

**ALERT:**

**I'm looking for a beta.**

**Review. =)**


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